{"id":214336,"date":"2026-04-01T10:19:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214336\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:19:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:19:13","slug":"james-fishback-draws-hundreds-to-late-night-campaign-rally-at-orlando-taco-bell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214336\/","title":{"rendered":"James Fishback draws hundreds to late-night campaign rally at Orlando Taco Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback greeted supporters at a Taco Bell in Jacksonville on March 22, 2026. Apparently he really likes Crunchwraps. Credit: via James Fishback\/Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Republican James Fishback, a 31-year-old investment firm CEO and \u201crage bait<\/a>\u201d candidate for Florida governor this year, met a packed house of mostly young men at a campaign event in Orlando Monday night, staged at a Taco Bell Cantina in downtown.<\/p>\n

Fishback admitted to the crowd that he\u2019s been banned from Waffle House, IHOP and Tindr (after previously using the dating app to promote his campaign<\/a>). \u201cIn what is perhaps the best analogy for modern dating life for men, IHOP slid into my DMs, invited me over and then banned me,\u201d he joked Monday, making a point to add, \u201cDenny\u2019s is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

A political newcomer who\u2019s earned the support of white nationalist influencer<\/a> Nick Fuentes and alleged sex trafficker<\/a> Andrew Tate, Fishback kicked off the event<\/a> by ordering a Crunchwrap at the counter and an \u201calcoholic margarita\u201d after wading his way through a raucous crowd of attendees. Caught on mic, Fishback quietly asked the cashier what type of liquor is typically used in a margarita after being asked how he\u2019d like his \u201calcoholic margarita\u201d to be prepared.<\/p>\n

The young Millennial\u2019s lack of cocktail knowledge, however, did not seem to deter his crowd of supporters, who roared and enthusiastically applauded Fishback\u2019s pledges to divest state funds from Israel, ban Flock surveillance cameras, and ensure Floridians can utilize their right to free speech to call Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a \u201cwar criminal\u201d if they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether we will defeat the slanderous lie of anti-semitism,\u201d said Fishback, who\u2019s been accused of espousing anti-Semitism<\/a>, due in part to his embrace of the slur \u201cgoyslop<\/a>\u201d and a level of criticism of the Israeli government that is rare in establishment GOP circles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I want to be clear,\u201d he said. \u201cI condemn the hatred of Jews, I condemn the hatred of Muslims, and yes, I condemn the hatred of the most persecuted group in America: Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n

An estimated 350 people attended the Orlando campaign event Monday night, according to Fishback, which he told Orlando Weekly was organized with just 48 hours\u2019 notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was at least 100 people outside who could not get in,\u201d he told the Weekly in a phone call Tuesday. \u201cIt was an absolute madhouse, but I was honored to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the \u201cwar criminal\u201d comment, he told us, \u201cI will both defend everyone\u2019s right to say that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, but I\u2019ll also make sure that there is an honest and earnest debate that everyone can have.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a radical free speech absolutist, and that\u2019s what our founding fathers were, and I hope to live up to their standards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback campaigns at the Taco Bell Cantina in downtown Orlando on March 30, 2026. Credit: via James Fishback\/Facebook<\/p>\n

A long shot candidate targeting \u2018goyslop\u2019<\/p>\n

With incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis term-limited from seeking re-election this year, Fishback is facing off against Trump-endorsed candidate Byron Donalds \u2014 a Black Republican Congressman whom Fishback has provocatively referred to as a \u201cslave\u201d \u2014 and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins in the upcoming August primary election for governor.<\/p>\n

Fishback, polling in the single digits, is considered a long shot, \u201cradical\u201d candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial race. Nonetheless, he appears to have stirred up a fiery base in certain Gen-Zers \u2014\u00a0who are increasingly leaning toward the political right <\/a>\u2014 in addition to independents who don\u2019t see a political home in either major party.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe left wing and the right wing are both wings attached to the same corrupt, uni-party bird,\u201d he said Monday night at Taco Bell, holding up a copy of George Orwell\u2019s dystopian novel 1984.<\/p>\n

Fishback, seemingly drawing on the winning NYC mayoral campaign of 34-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, has highlighted affordability on the campaign trail, fleetingly mentioning other hot-button, politically divisive issues like immigration and book bans. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not in the business of the culture war,\u201d he argued. \u201cThe only culture war I am fighting is on behalf of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only culture war I am fighting is on behalf of Jesus Christ.\u201d <\/p>\n

James Fishback, Republican candidate for Florida governor<\/p>\n

Pointing to the higher cost of living and the difficulty young people have buying homes, he argues politicians in both major parties are failing everyday Floridians.<\/p>\n

\u201cForget that gas prices are now $4 a gallon. Forget the fact that it is nearly impossible for anyone under the age of 35 to buy a home. Forget the fact that the economy is not in a Golden Age \u2014 the good news is that the Florida Republicans in Tallahassee just renamed the Palm Beach airport after Donald Trump<\/a>,\u201d said Fishback, who described himself Monday as \u201ca bit of an edge-lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, at the end of the day, I\u2019d be happy for that airport to be named after President Trump,\u201d he added, after facing some heckling from a rally attendee. \u201cI\u2019d be happy to, but that means asserting the undeniable truth that no American should die for Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

At least 13 U.S. military service members have died so far<\/a> in the ongoing Israel-U.S. war on Iran that began Feb. 28, 2026, according to PBS News. The conflict is backed by the Trump administration. Fishback has openly criticized<\/a> the war in Iran and (drawing a contrast in the gubernatorial race) unapologetically described his fellow GOP candidate Byron Donalds as a \u201cslave\u201d to AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. It serves as a powerful pro-Israel lobbying force and piggy bank<\/a> for politicians in both major parties.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Donalds] took $45 million from AIPAC, from corporate donors and from a hedge fund billionaire who was named 39 times in the Epstein files,\u201d Fishback claimed in his conversation with the Weekly. \u201cHe is a slave, and if you want me to stop calling him that, he should give back the money to the billionaires who are trying to destroy our state, to the foreign interests who are passing an anti-semitism law that punishes Muslims, Christians, and, yes, even Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fishback has faced blowback for his comments about Donalds, and has faced scrutiny for allegedly dating a minor<\/a> when he was 27 (Fishback has denied this), his ritzy taste in wristwatches<\/a>, the repossession of his Tesla and the legal challenges<\/a> initiated by his former employer, New York-based hedge fund Greenlight Capital.<\/p>\n

Make Florida affordable again<\/p>\n

On the affordability front, Fishback has attempted to appeal to the everyday worker through a proposed 25 percent raise for public-sector workers \u2014 including cops, firefighters and teachers.<\/p>\n

He also pledged to deploy Florida\u2019s National Guard to get homeless people off the streets on day one as governor (later explaining to the Weekly that he believes it\u2019s the state\u2019s responsibility to prioritize funding for shelters and long-term housing programs).<\/p>\n

He wants to create a $10,000 down payment home assistance program for young couples \u2014 who are increasingly being priced out of the housing market<\/a> \u2014 and provide paid maternity leave for young mothers who can\u2019t afford not to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that people are happiest when they are married and when they\u2019re having children, as opposed to sleeping around, being childless in their 50s,\u201d he told the Weekly. Of those who choose to remain childless, he said, \u201cI would ask you to reevaluate your decision,\u201d while adding, \u201cbut of course, the state of Florida is not going to compel you to get married and to have children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fishback, a self-described \u201cpro-life\u201d Christian, said he regularly hears from young people who want kids, but hold back because they can\u2019t afford the cost of housing and other basic living costs on top of childbirth and raising a kid.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we be pro-life,\u201d he posited, \u201cand tell a Black mom who lives on the west side of Orlando that we\u2019re pro-life, but we\u2019re not going to help cover the cost of childbirth? That we\u2019re pro-life, but we\u2019re not going to make sure that her employer gives her paid maternity leave? That we\u2019re pro-life, but we\u2019re not going to provide prenatal or postpartum care?\u201d<\/p>\n

This kind of rhetoric aligns with an advancing goal<\/a> of the anti-abortion movement to fund unregulated anti-abortion centers (often run by religious organizations) that offer things such as free diapers (for a limited time) and baby clothing, in the service of persuading pregnant people not to get an abortion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fishback admitted that, if elected governor, he would like to see all of Florida\u2019s remaining abortion clinics shut down. The state already currently bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. \u201cI believe that women deserve a choice, and that choice is life,\u201d he told the Weekly. \u201cAnd right now, we don\u2019t have a health care system, a political system, an economic system that actually venerates and celebrates life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that women deserve a choice, and that choice is life.\u201d <\/p>\n

James Fishback, Republican candidate for Florida Governor<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear whether his candidacy will survive the Republican primary election this August, however. President Donald Trump, who\u2019s politically popular in Florida, has already endorsed Fishback\u2019s leading opponent, Donalds. Gen-Z voters, a key base of Fishback\u2019s campaign, have historically demonstrated low turnout come election time. He also faces a major fundraising gap.<\/p>\n

Still, Fishback told the Weekly that his campaign is continuing to build up its get-out-the-vote operation and argued that low voter turnout among young people is more to do with the fact that they haven\u2019t \u201cfelt compelled by something bigger\u201d to participate in the electoral process.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want someone who will stand up and fight for them,\u201d he said. \u201cYes, fight the lunatics in the Democrat Party, but also fight the lunatics in the Republican Party who are doing nothing to fight for affordability in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis is term-limited. Whoever wins the Republican primary this August will then have to face off against the Democratic nominee for Florida governor \u2014 although a Democrat is not expected to win a state where Republicans have a more than 1 million voter registration edge.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0 most high-profile Democrats currently in the running include Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Republican-turned-Democrat David Jolly, a former U.S. House representative whom Fishback has described as a \u201cwoke loser<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The primary election day this year is Aug. 18, 2026. The voter registration deadline is July 20.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Bluesky<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n

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